Pressure vessel



July 23, l935 c. G. PULLIN 2,009,324

PRESSURE VESSEL Filed oct. 15, 1954 i@ @JQ/ Patented July 23, 1935PRESSURE VESSEL Cyril George Pullin, Queens Park, Glasgow, Scotland,assignor to G. & J. Weir, Limited, Glasgow, Scotland, a corporation ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland Application October 15, 1934, SerialNo. 748,387 In Great Britain November 18, 1933 1 Claim.

This invention relates to pressure vessels having screwed-on orbolted-onheads, end covers, or the like, and relates more particularlyto the sealing of the joint between an internal combustion enginecylinder and cylinder head.

According to the invention, the sealing of such joint is realized bymeans of a ring of springmetal of U-form or channel form incross-section, the limbs of the U extending in the direction of theplane of the ring, and being deformable under axial pressure betweenopposed faces presented by complemental parts of the vessel and the headorV end cover, the limbs of the U being squeezed towards one anotherwithin the elastic limit of the metal so that the limbs are maintainedin intimate contact with said faces. Y

The invention as adapted to an internal combustion engine is illustratedin the accompanying drawing which is a fragmentary sectional elevationof an internal combustion engine cylinder.

The fluid pressure sealing device consists of a ring l of spring metal,of U form in crossrespect to the axis of the ring, and which isaccommodated between a face 2 presented by an external annular shoulder3 on the cylinder barrel 4 and a face 5 presented by an annular shoulder6 on the lower end of the cylinder head l. Desirably the ring l islapped in to the cylinder head 1 and cylinder barrel 4 or other jointingsurfaces.

The limbs of the U are deformable under axial pressure between saidfaces 2, 5, and are squeezed towards one another within the elasticlimit of Athe metal so that they are maintained in intimate contact withthe faces 2, 5.

'I'he cylinder head 1, which is screw-threaded on to the cylinder barrel4, presents a sunk annular seat 8 for direct engagement with therelative cylinder barrel end face 9, so that, when the cylinder head 'lis screwed righ-t home on the cylinder barrel 4, the seat 8 bears hardon the relative barrel end face 9,' and a definite and predeterminedpressure is exercised on the jointing faces of the ring, such pressuredepending on the angle of the sides of the channel or the form of thering.

Pressure gas leaking past the screw-threads enters the annular channelof the spring ring and tends to separate the limbs of the ring into moreintimatek contact with the faces 2, 5 on the cylinder barrel and thecylinder head.

The cylinder head may consist of aluminium section, the open side ofwhich is innermost withy (Cl. B20-3) alloy, and the cylinder barrel mayconsist of steel, so that as the cylinder head has a higher coefficientof expansion than the cylinder barrel, Athere is, due to the temperaturerise, a definite radial expansion of the cylinder head, which expansioncauses a certain amount of slackness'in the screw-threads.

Advantageously, therefore,V

the axial thrust exercised yby the spring ring tends to take up any suchslackness and to maintain gas-tightness.

The spring ring acts also in the manner of a spring washer and preventsany slackening back of the head.

If desired,r

a further locking may be interposed between the cylinder head andcylinder barrel.

A passage,

or conduit, from the pressure chamber of the cylinder may be provided,for feeding the annular space between the joint and the cylinder barrel;

this passage may be relatively large barrel of an internal combustionengine or any otherapplication wherein the component parts are workingat an elevated temperature such as would alter the spring condition ofthe joint ring,

it may be desirable to form the ring of a material having thermalhardening properties, and so alloyed that the vmaterial retains thenecessary elasticity at such elevated temperature.

The inner peripheral surface or the outer peripheral surface of theringvl may constitute the exposed ring I.

I claim:-

side of the channel dened bythe The combination with a cylinder barrelexternally screw-threaded at its outer end, of an internally threadedcylinder head screwed on to said barrel, said` barrel and said headpresenting opposed annular shoulders, and a fluid-pressure sealing ringof spring metal of substantially U- form in cross section interposedbetween said shoulders, and adapted to confine .any leakage between thethreads of said barrel and said head,

the convex face of said ring being outermost, the v Whole of said convexface being exposed to the atmosphere.

CYRIL .GEORGE PULLIN.

